LLLI Board of Directors Meeting, July 6, 2005, Washington DC, USA
Jane Tuttle
Secretary, LLLI Board of Directors
From: LEAVEN, Vol. 41 No. 5, October-November 2005, p. 119.
The LLLI Board met July 6, 2005, and discussed the following topics. No formal motions were passed. The next
Board meeting is scheduled for November 3-6, 2005, in Schaumburg, Illinois, USA.
LLLI Conference
The Board wishes to express its appreciation and gratitude to the LLLI Conference Team for their hard work on
the 19th La Leche League International Conference held in Washington, DC, USA, July 2 through 5, 2005. The
Conference was a productive gathering of the LLLI community and friends. We are grateful to both the staff and the
many volunteers who made this Conference possible. The next (20th) LLLI Conference will be held July 20 through 23,
2007, in Chicago, IL, USA. It will be dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of LLL.
Finances
The audit for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2005 has been conducted, and the audited financial statements
have been received in draft form. The fiscal year ended in a deficit of greater than $150,000 from our operations.
The cash flow of LLLI continues to be a concern, and we must frequently use our line of credit in order to pay
bills.
In simple terms, the revenue that we receive from our primary sources -- membership, unrestricted donations,
merchandise sales, and royalties -- is much less than expected and is not sufficient to cover budgeted expenses.
Since revenues are not adequate to support current programs, the organization will need to explore major changes
and/or reductions in the programs and services currently offered by LLLI. This is important for the LLLI community
to bear in mind because planning for the 2006-07 budget must begin in October.
Bylaws Committee Discussion
It was brought to our attention that the lactation profession now uses the term "human milk" instead
of "breast milk." This change has been made in major LLLI publications, for example in THE WOMANLY ART OF
BREASTFEEDING and THE BREASTFEEDING ANSWER BOOK. A suggestion was made to the Board to alter the wording of the
concepts to reflect this change. The Board rejected this suggestion. If the LLLI community sees the need to replace
the term "breast milk" in the concepts with the term "human milk," the Board would consider the
possibility of making such a change. However, the Board reiterates that we are making no change to LLLI
Philosophy.
Also, the LLLI Publications Department pointed out a grammatical error in one of the concepts. The Board decided
not to change "which" to "that" in the concept statement. The statement in question is provided
below:
From infancy on, children need loving guidance which reflects acceptance of their capabilities and sensitivity
to their feelings. (Sep 72; rev Oct 79, Oct 84, Feb 92, Feb 98)
LLLI Bra
The Board authorized the Executive Director and the Chairman of the Board to sign a contract to license the use
of the LLLI name and logo on a new nursing bra. The bra is being designed and manufactured for LLLI and will be
sold at Nordstrom department stores in the USA. The Board has thoroughly investigated this proposition and the
companies involved. The Board is satisfied that the companies adhere to ethical business and manufacturing
practices that are compatible with the LLLI philosophy. With no expenses involved on our part (the licensing agent
has borne all expenses to date), the Board anticipates that the LLLI bra will begin producing income as soon as it
is on store shelves.
Strategic Planning
The Board decided to develop a strategic planning process and wants to involve all interested members of the
LLLI community. Measurable outcomes will be an important part of the process to determine whether we are meeting
our goals effectively and efficiently. The most recent Strategic Plan is dated 1993. Reviewing and modifying
strategic goals on a regular basis is a best practice for nonprofit boards.
Board Membership
Paloma Lerma, Board member from Zone Latin America, resigned from the Board for personal reasons. The Zone is
considering a new nominee. We thank Paloma for her contributions and wish her well. She has agreed to continue
working with the Board on committee work and other tasks.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact the LLLI Board at
LLLIBOD at llli.org.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:31:42 UTC 2007.
